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Spanish Royal Navy
The Spanish Royal Navy, also known as Armada Española or Spanish Armada, was the naval armed force of the Spanish Empire and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. Most notably under the reign of King Ferdinand, the Spanish Armada was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation. For several centuries it played a crucial logistical role in the Spanish Empire and defended a vast trade network across the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas and Europe and across the Pacific Ocean between Asia and the Americas. The Spanish Armada was the most powerful maritime force in the world in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Reform under the Bourbon dynasty improved its logistical and military capacity in the 18th century, for most of which Spain possessed the world's third largest navy. History Origin The Spanish Royal Navy was organized immediately after the Spanish discovery of the New World in 1492. When other nations of Europe started to make colonies in the Americas, a Spanish Treasure Fleet was organized to safely transport silver and gold from the Caribbean to Spain. In 1588, the Spanish King Philip II attempted to invade England, but his fleet, called the Invincible Armada, was defeated by the English Navy squadron led by several notorious English sea rovers, Francis Drake among them. In the 1630s, the Spanish Royal Navy in the Caribbean was lead by admiral Joaquin Da Saldanha.Pirates of the Caribbean (game) Twenty years later, sensing the decline of Spanish power, the English dictator, Oliver Cromwell, initiated the Anglo-Spanish War (1654). The English Royal Navy inflicted several defeats on the Spanish Armada in the Caribbean, and helped England seize the island of Jamaica. This was to be the beginning of minor losses of islands to other powers in the Caribbean, that were used as bases for attacks on Spanish New World towns and shipping by English, French and Dutch pirates and privateers. 18th century At the beginning of the 18th century, a prominent member of the Spanish Royal Navy was Admiral Maldonado, who led the armada of a hundred ships and mercilessly hunted pirates in the Caribbean. However, his ruthless campaign gave rise to one of the most notorious pirates in the Caribbean, Captain James Sterling.Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned 's fleet of three galleons.]] During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Spain was an ally of France, but that didn't stop British privateers led by Benjamin Hornigold and Edward Teach to capture Spanish merchant ships in the Caribbean. The Franco-Spanish alliance was dissolved a few years after the war. In 1720, during the War of the Quadruple Alliance, the Spanish Royal Navy attempted to capture New Providence, the seat of the British power in the Bahamas. However, the attack was repelled by local militia, which was composed mainly of former pirates. The Salazars One of the leaders of the Spanish Royal Navy in the Caribbean was Admiral Salazar, a corrupt officer who let the pirates evade justice as long as they gave him gold and silver in exchange. One day he was arrested for treason and imprisoned. He was released from prison a year after his wife's death, but when the disgraced admiral returned home he was killed by his own son, Armando Salazar.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization, p155. '' fires a full broadside at the burning pirate ship.]] The young Spaniard swore vengeance on pirates who have destroyed his family and joined the Navy, eventually becoming the most feared pirate hunter in the history of the Spain. Commanding the mighty galleon, the Silent Mary, Armando Salazar and his loyal crew destroyed dozens of pirate ships, successfully bringing piracy in the Caribbean to the brink of extinction.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Quest for the Shadow Gold In the late 1710s, the Spanish Royal Navy made a deal with the Spanish Pirate Lord, Eduardo Villanueva, who promised them that he'll drive out the English and the French from the Caribbean forever. He also promised that he'll sink every pirate ship in the Caribbean.Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean, p83. But that plan was ruined by another Pirate Lord, Jack Sparrow, who stole the gold with which the Spanish intended to pay Villanueva. A few months later, the Spanish Royal Navy participated in the battle for the Shadow Gold, controlled by the alchemist known as the Shadow Lord. The Shadow Lord was defeated, and so was the Spanish fleet. After the battle, the Spanish princess Carolina took one of the Spanish ships for herself and named it the Sparrow, in honor of her former captain, the Pirate Lord Jack Sparrow.Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow The Condenados A pair of identical warships was built for the Spanish Navy, the San Pablo and the San Miguel. The two ships were the pride of Spanish Navy, but during the night of the full moon, both ships disappeared without a trace. However, according to legends, the vanished ships would reappear from time to time, pursuing other ships, and every pursuit would end with the sinking of every captured vessel. Because of these legends, the San Pablo and the San Miguel became known as the Condenados, the Damned.The Sails of Doom! Threat of a sea god During the Hector Barbossa's quest to lift the Aztec curse, the Spanish Armada managed to capture Palaimon, the Greek sea god who fed on human souls. Trapped and shackled, Palaimon was taken aboard the fishing vessel Delfin. However, he managed to devour the souls of the ship's crewmen, and the rest of the ships in the fleet opened fire on the Delfin, destroying it completely.Six Sea Shanties: Strangers Bearing Gifts War of Garcia and Pierre In the 1720s, a privateer war erupted between the French colony of Ille D'Etable De Porc and Isla De La Avaricia, a war which cost the Spanish Royal Navy many of its ships. The sunken ships were later raised from their watery graves by an undead pirate captain Jolly Roger. They were later organized into the Spanish Ghost Fleet, commanded by Roger's minions.Pirates of the Caribbean Online However, despite these losses, the Spanish Royal Navy remained a powerful force in the Caribbean. Quest for the Fountain of Youth at Fort San Miguel.]] In 1750, upon gaining possession of the ship's log of Ponce de León, King Ferdinand VI sent The Spaniard and his loyal crew of the Spanish Armada in a quest for the Fountain of Youth. Throughout the quest, The Spaniard's fleet sailed past the [[HMS Providence|HMS Providence]], captained by privateer Hector Barbossa, and made camp in the abandoned Fort San Miguel, where they examined the Chalices of Cartagena and dealt with Barbossa and pirate Jack Sparrow. Ultimately, the quest was successful for the Spanish, who managed to destroy the Fountain.Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Symbols ]] The most prominent symbol of the Spanish Royal Navy was the Flag of Spain, which was usually flown from the mainmasts of the Spanish ships. Another flag, known as the Cross of Burgundy, was used in the time of war. The ships also flew pennants of different colors. Aside from that, the sails of the Spanish Navy ships were often decorated with the coat of arms of the Spanish Monarchy, or with the great Catholic cross and the lion from the coat of arms of León. Notable vessels *''Santiago'' *''Carrera de la Vega's ship'' *''Spaniard's ship'' *''Unnamed Spanish galleon'' *''Centurion'' *''Maldonado's ship '' *''Spanish Blood Scourge'' *''Spanish Cerberus'' *''Spanish Shadow Crow'' *''Prowler'' *''Nuestra Señora de la Inspiración Divina'' *''Silent Mary'' and the pirate ship Nemesis.]] Behind the scenes *At one point during his pirate career, Jack Sparrow impersonated an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl *In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Spanish privateer ships are easily recognizable by their red and yellow sails. *The Spanish Navy appears in the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned. But, since that game was canceled, it is unknown if the Navy's appearance in the game is canon or not. Appearances *''Pirates of the Caribbean (game)'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned'' *''The Price of Freedom'' *''Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean'' *''Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East'' *''Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters'' *''Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (video game) *''Six Sea Shanties: Strangers Bearing Gifts'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow'' *''Going Overboard!'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean Online'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' *''LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game'' Sources *''Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean Online'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization)'' External links * Notes and references de:Spanische Royal Navy Category:Organizations Category:Spanish Royal Navy Category:Navies